Many types of optical discs include a data side and a label side. The data side is where the data is written to, whereas the label side allows the user to label the optical disc. Unfortunately, labeling can be an unprofessional, laborious, and/or expensive process. Markers can be used to write on optical discs, but the results are often decidedly unprofessional looking. Special pre-cut labels that can be printed on with inkjet or other types of printers can also be used, but this is a laborious process: the labels must be carefully aligned on the discs, and so on. Special-purpose printers that print directly on the discs may be used, but such printers are relatively expensive. In the patent application entitled “Integrated CD/DVD Recording and Label” [attorney docket 10011728-1], filed on Oct. 11, 2001, and assigned Ser. No. 09/976,877, a solution to these difficulties is described, in which a laser is used to label optical discs.
To optically write marks to optically writable label sides of optical discs, a laser is turned on adjacent to desired positions of the label side of an optical disc as the disc rotates. The material from which the label sides of the optical discs are made may need the laser to remain positioned adjacent to each desired position of the label side of an optical disc for a given length of time in order to optically write a mark of sufficient contrast. This length of time places a constraint on the rotational speed of the optical disc, and the rotational speed of the disc may need to be slower than when, for instance, the optically writable data sides of optical discs are written to. The motors typically employed in mass storage devices may not able to rotate an optical disc at this desired slower speed with the same rotational accuracy at which they are able to rotate the disc at higher speeds, potentially causing less than optimal labeling quality.